Wizard new hat for Darwin

Is it Darwin or Merlin? Some pranksters thought it would be a good idea to furnish a statue of Shrewsbury's most famous son with a traffic cone, leaving him looking more like the mystical wizard of Arthurian legend.

The bronze figure of the world famous naturalist, which stands outside his former school – now Shrewsbury Library – is thought to have been decorated with the orange cone last night.

Staff at the library said they had turned up for work to be greeted by the additional feature.

Caroline Buckley, librarian, today said: "We have no idea exactly when it happened but it was probably last night because it wasn't there in the afternoon when we were open."

The cone was removed when a member of staff knocked it off the statue this morning.

Mrs Buckley said although turning Darwin into a cone-head could be perceived as disrespectful, no damage had been caused.

But there was hopefully some better news for Darwin after work began to correct the town's £350,000 sculpture in memory of him which has been beset by technical problems.

The 12m-high Quantum Leap statue, which is being built in Mardol Quay Gardens, is reportedly as much as 18in out of alignment at the top of the structure.